CHARACTERISTICS OF PILGRIMS

SCRIPTURE

HEBREWS 11:8-16

Abraham our example

(1) OBEYED THE CALL verse 8

GENESIS 12:1-4 Abraham obeyed and responded to the call of God.

• DIVINE CALL - All are invited to the marriage of the lamb


• SEPARATION - From the world and the world system


• GUIDANCE - Led by God's Spirit


• DIVINE FAVOUR - God's provision and grace


• COVENANT - Promise of eternal life


• OBEDIENCE - He went where and when God said to go

Faith = seed planted

(2) NEVER SETTLED DOWN verse 9

Abraham never settled down

• Dwelt in tabernacles i.e. lived in the spirit realm of faith


• Never laid foundations in the earth i.e. did not live in the world or the world system


• Sojourned greek word PAROIKEO = to live as a stranger


• Lived in the promises of God i.e. sought God's will and not their own

Growth = The Blade

(3) LOOKED FOR AN ETERNAL CITY verse 10

Abraham looked for an eternal city

• Built by God - Jesus is the chief cornerstone


• Sought a spiritual home - 2Corinthians 5:1 WE have a HOUSE from heaven. All our new spiritual houses make up the city.
  Our salvation is a work done by God's Holy Spirit


• First the natural " Old Jerusalem " and then the spiritual " New Jerusalem "


• This looking also speaks of a " Spiritual Vision " - believe and see the truth - to be set free

Budding = The Ear

(4) LONGED FOR A BETTER LAND verse 16

Abraham longed for a better land

• Sought the Lord's heaven and not the earth


• Had progressive vision from a city to a country. First the natural " Nation of Israel " the spiritural " New heaven and new earth "

Fruit = The Corn

(5) HAD TELESCOPIC VISION verse 13

The Patriarchs could see the promise in their spiritual vision. They could see ahead and were glad JOHN 8:56

(6) THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR FAITH verse 13

• Maintained a positive confession of faith


• WE ARE PILGRIMS and not to be numbered among the worldly people. By faith we are God's and joint heirs with Jesus. We live and rule in the heavenlies at Jesus' return EPHESIANS 2:6

(7) THEY DIED IN THEIR FAITH

REVELATION 14:13 Blessed we are if we die in Christ for we have run the race HEBREWS 12:1-2 and won

(8) NEVER TURNED BACK

They never turned back to egypt when the going gets tough but press on to " A land that flows with milk and honey "

• They never look back LUKE 9:62

CONCLUSION

Never dwell in the earth for the Lord has called us out to be a peculiar people to him. A people that have their eyes firmly fixed on him and not the world.
There is only one answer to every need and that is Jesus Christ Our Lord